The World Calling
by Evoker
Summary: Theodore. Original Character. : She was a disgusting mess. But she made him question his own abilities.
1. Chapter 1

The day was warm and the sun was bright. It was a pleasant day, one might of said. It was a day that a certain Velvet Room Assistant wished to embark on a new adventure. Or at least learn a little more about the 'outside' world. His golden orbs analyzed each person that walked by. He had found himself a comfortable place to sit, underneath the refreshing shade of a looming tree. It had been about fifteen minutes since he had arrived on the bench. And, from what he could figure out, people lived very dull lives. A number of them merely shopped without even acknowledging anyone else. Some conversed with 'friends' or, from what he could tell, random people that the person happened to find 'attractive'. He furrowed his silver brows in distaste for the little rituals.

The aloof man began to daze off due to the sheer boredom that had ensued. However, he was interrupted by something. Or perhaps, _someone_.

Sobbing. Someone around him was crying. Glancing around, however, he came to realize there wasn't anyone crying. How could such a thing be possible? He could hear them. Yet he was unable to see them. He furrowed his brows once more. Sniffling. It sounded so close.

Theodore jumped to his feet. This was driving him nuts. He didn't like where this was going at all. He needed to find this person. Whoever it was, he didn't care. All he really wanted right now, was for that irritating noise to go away.

So he began his little journey.

The first place he checked was a small used bookstore. The owners of it seemed perplexed by his curious behavior. But then again, they also seemed a little out of it themselves. When his search there turned up nothing, Theodore tried the fast food restaurant beside it. He checked the bathrooms as well. Yes, _both_ of them. Which earned him an escort out.

Grumbling to himself, Theodore headed to the next place.

It was as he passed a dim alleyway, that the noise faded. His curiosity was heightened as he peered into the dirty alley. He took note of the crouched person at the end. They seemed to be hiding in a corner.

When he took a step away, the sobbing became louder. When he took a step closer, it became softer.

"I suppose I've found the culprit," Theodore muttered to himself.

He drew closer to the weeping human. By now, it was pretty clear it was a female. Dressed still in her uniform, she seemed oblivious to his arrival. She continued to stare at the filthy ground, tears pouring from her eyes. It was an unsightly sight. Theodore grimaced.

When he made a move to retreat farther back from the disgusting mess, his foot kicked an empty can. It was a clear sign, to the unaware female, that someone was there. She let her gaze fall upon him. Her eyes were wide with a mix of shock and fear. Puffy and red from all the wailing. It made him want to shudder. She really didn't look very elegant.

No wonder she was crying in a back alleyway.

The girl didn't seem all that happy to see him. She jumped to her feet and took a few needed steps away. Theodore stared with a blank expression upon his face. Why did she act like he was the revolting one? She was the one with shot running from her nose.

"Who… Are you?" She choked out.

"Theodore," He answered bluntly.

There was a silence.

"There's snot under your nose," He stared.

She seemed surprised by his direct statement. The rattled girl quickly wiped it away with the back of her sleeve. He shuddered.

"Is it gone?" She glanced up at him.

He nodded.

After taking a brief moment to gather herself, the girl began to stare at the ground once more. It was as if the ground was more interesting than him. She spoke quietly, "Why are you back here?" It was odd. Her voice was so soft.

"I heard something wailing," He stared. "It was irritating."

Her cheeks burned red and a bitter laugh fell from her lips, "Sorry. I guess I've been pretty irritating to everyone lately."

He didn't quite understand her statement. "Elaborate."

The girl glanced towards him before directing her gaze back down, "It's a long and boring story. You wouldn't want to waste your time."

Theodore pursed his lips, "Don't tell me how to spend my time. I don't have anywhere I need to be. Neither do you." His irritation surprised her. She shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze. Perhaps she was stalling, hoping the man would become irritated enough to just leave the subject alone. But he didn't. Theodore continued to glower at her until the puffy eyed girl broke down and spoke.

"What would you do if the person you cared about… Did something horrible behind your back?" Her eyes became softer. But her gaze was that of a miserable human.

"I don't have someone like that," He answered.

"Lucky," The girl moved to press her back against one of the brick walls. "I do. I mean, I did." She mumbled as she slid down against the wall. "I cared about that person a lot. I put a lot into our relationship too. I even planned on marrying that person someday." She brought her knees to her chest, coiling her arms around them.

"Continue," Theodore ordered with a bland tone.

She gave a weak laugh. Or what sounded like one. "He asked another person, another girl, to do something for him. An intimate thing. Something that should have been kept between him and me." Her cheeks began to fade to the familiar red, "It's too embarrassing to say, but you get the picture, right?"

"Did she?" He tilted his head to the side just a bit.

"That's the tricky part," She spared a glimpse in his direction. "She didn't. But, she could have. When I found out, I confronted him about it. And he just brushed it off as if he was joking. However… It still hurt." The tears began to swell up again, "You understand, right? Because if he really cared, why would he even think about saying something like that? He said he didn't put himself in my shoes. He said he didn't think about how I would feel. But…" The girl bit her bottom lip, it was clear she was trying not to cry.

But he couldn't relate.

Theodore had never felt any emotions such as these. He couldn't grasp what she was feeling. He couldn't feel sadness for her. He couldn't feel angry for her. He couldn't pity her. This emotion that she was portraying before him. It was 'hurt'. But Theodore never cried. He never felt 'hurt'.

He wasn't incapable of these feelings, was he?

This new question made him wonder. Though it looked disgusting and unsightly. Maybe,_ just maybe_, he wanted to experience what she was feeling. If only for a short while.

Theodore furrowed his brows. But how could he do that?

"I'm sorry for wasting your time," Her voice snapped him out of his troubling thoughts. She had already gathered her composure and was standing back up. "Thank you for listening though," Her smile was depressing.

Abruptly she bowed before brushing passed him. He watched as the nameless girl disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians.

His chance to question her on this 'hurt' emotion had slipped through his fingers. It was a disappointing revelation, but he would move on. Other people would become 'hurt'. He could question them.

She wasn't important.


	2. Chapter 2

Today wasn't as bright as the day before. In fact, a storm was brewing just on the horizon. It was going to be a frightening afternoon for anyone that didn't run quick enough. Yet, here he sat. The same bench as before. Legs crossed in a sophisticated manner. Unlike yesterday, Theodore didn't hear any sobbing near by. His mind was quiet. He observed the passersby. They were oblivious to his existence. Going on with day to day activities. It was uneventful as usual. So why did he come back to this place?

Simple.

He was waiting for someone to get hurt. That way he could be the first to interrogate them.

So far everyone was either; cheerful, busy, or bored. Theodore let out a sigh of disappointment. His plans weren't going the way he had wished them to. He leaned his head back, staring aimlessly at the looming tree. The leaves were beginning to change color. Fall was well on its way.

"Hey, can you believe he said that?" A female voice giggled. "No way! He's totally into you," Another giggle. "What do you think, Leiko?" The first inquired. "Leiko! You're spacing out again," She laughed.

"Sorry, guys. I've got a lot on my mind," A familiar voice.

His eyes widened with realization.

"Yeah, right. You're just ditzy. Now pay more attention!" Another giggle. It held a tint of bitterness to it. "Come on. Lets get some food."

'Leiko' nodded.

Theodore watched as the three girls disappeared into the fast food place. _'Well she seems fine enough now. Hurt must be an emotion you can overcome quickly.'_ He pushed himself up off the bench, _'Then it is a dull emotion like the others. There's no need to experience it.'_

* * *

Today was indeed a unacceptable day. Not only did he come to find that 'hurt' was another uninteresting emotion, he now found himself standing idly under a pavilion. Why?

Because Theodore wasn't quick enough.

The storm had come in at a rapid pace. Almost as if the clouds were angry at the humans. He watched the pouring rain around him. The sky was dark. Perhaps a tad bit intimidating as well. He let a sigh fall from his lips. The children that frequented this park had left quite sometime ago. Just before the storm. At least he could be thankful for that. Theodore didn't want to be stuck under this tiny pavilion with a bunch of five year olds.

But a surprise awaited him.

Something caught his eye. A familiar figure. She was drenched from head to toe, her clothes sticking gracelessly to her body. When had she come to stand under the some shelter as he had? The girl was trying, effortlessly, to ring out her soaked skirt. Her hair stuck to her cheeks as she pushed it away. She looked like a mess. Another sordid mess.

"Sorry, do you mind--" She began. But when her eyes met with his, they were filled with disbelief. The girl let her gaze fall back to the concrete flooring. She was silent.

It must have been awkward for her. Seeing the stranger from the alley again. A man she had poured her troubles out to, at the thought of never seeing him again. As luck would have it though, they would meet again. And under such gloomy circumstances at that.

The silence was shattered with a crack of thunder. She winced, but made no move to 'cling' to him. Theodore had thought it unusual. From his experience, _reading Elizabeth's manga_, the girl would always attach herself to the male. Either that, or a stuffed object of some sort. Was she trying to act brave? Was his data incorrect? Or perhaps she found him to be unapproachable? He furrowed his brows.

"I don't remember your name," She confessed with a glance in his direction.

"Theodore," His voice was indifferent. He didn't expect her to remember.

"Oh. Well. I'm Leiko," He was taken back when she shifted and extended her hand towards him. It was an awfully refined gesture for a disgraceful mess of a woman. Despite how polite the gesture was, Theodore had no interest in shaking, _or even touching_, her hand. He grimaced.

The girl caught on rather quickly. She dropped her hand away from him, letting her gaze burn into the ground again. Her cheeks faded to a light pink. Perhaps out of embarrassment, or maybe she was catching a slight cold.

He raised his brows slightly when she suddenly shivered. It was an unpredictable impulse. Leiko wrapped her arms around herself. It was of no use though. The gesture only served to keep the cold and wet fabric of her shirt pressed firmly against her chilled skin. The girl sucked in a quick breath. From Theodore's point of view, it seemed as if she was mentally fighting the icy shivers away.

Theodore took a wild guess that the girl had been hiding the fact she was freezing for sometime now. She was putting up a tough front. Perhaps due to the collapse of her emotional wall the last time they had an encounter.

He gave her a displeasing look as his fingers moved effortlessly around each button of his jacket. In a graceful manner, his jacket fell away from his shoulders. Leiko was dumbfounded when she felt the dry fabric draped over her own shoulders. She could feel the warmth still wrapped inside it from when he wore the garment. The appreciative girl opened her mouth to thank him, but for some reason, she found it wouldn't of mattered either way.

"Why?" She murmured. Her voice was weak to his ears.

He gave a nonchalant shrug, "I simply thought it was the right thing to do."

"I see," A faint smile touched her lips.

The pair stood in silence. One staring at the cold concrete, the other gazing towards the dark clouds.

"Leiko!" A stranger's voice called. The girl snapped to attention, her eyes flashing with surprise. She spun around in such a haste, that Theodore might have thought a fire had erupted under the timid girl. He turned his own attention to where she gawked. A figure emerged out of the rain, breathing heavily, he gave a whimsical smile. In his right hand, he held a black umbrella. "I was so worried about you."

Theodore felt a tinge of distaste for this person.

The stunned Leiko opened her mouth to speak, but the abrasive man grabbed a hold of her hand and began to yank her away. "Come on. We gotta get you out of the rain. You're drenched!"

"U-Um, wait…" She murmured. Her voice was too weak. Her plea never reached the young man's ears. Though she stumbled hesitantly behind him, this stranger didn't deter from pulling her out from under the gazebo.

Leiko tossed a disappointed look over her shoulder. But Theodore saw no need for it. It was to be expected after all. The rain would have stopped eventually, and the two would of parted once more.

However, she did take his jacket with her.

Theodore let out a irritated sigh. Now he'd need to stop by the Tailor again. The silver haired man turned his head up to the dark sky. The rain didn't look like it would be letting up anytime soon. He wondered how much longer he would need to waste his time standing there. At least he was sheltered.

_However it seemed emptier under the pavilion._

* * *

_Thank you to my 2 reviewers. : cheeky grin: It means a lot!_


	3. Chapter 3

He couldn't rest. And rest was important to the organized man. If one thing was off in his world, than his regular schedule was shot to Hell. Theodora tossed and turned and finally had enough. The only thing he could hear throughout the utter silence, was the soft and repetitive sniffling. With a few scattered choked out sobs. It was driving him insane. Theodora sat up and inspected his room. No one was there. And it certainly wasn't one of his sisters crying. They never cried.

A small flicker of light caught his eye. It was reflecting in the mirror on his wall. Or so he thought. However, Theodore was unable to find the source of the tiny light. Letting out a rough sigh, he climbed out of bed. The hardwood floors were cold under his feet as he shuffled over to the mirror. Leaning forward, he squinted to see a little orb dancing around inside the mirror. Though he was awestruck to find a reflection inside that little orb.

It was of a girl.

The same girl that he had run across twice before. However, he was unable to gather what exactly she was doing. Lifting up his hand, his fingers brushed against the cold reflective glass. Just like that, the small sphere of light sprung to life. The image cleared and grew to fit perfectly inside the frame of the mirror. It was as if he was peering through an open window.

She was sitting, alone, on the edge of her bed. Her hands filled with tissues as she sobbed quietly. The girl was staring hopelessly at her lap.

Theodore let out a displeased sigh at the vile sight. He pressed against the mirror once more, hoping to make the image disappear. Though the mirror had a better idea. Immediately after touching the glass, a silver liquid began to encase his hand and wrist. It was warm and almost felt like a glue of some sort. Theodore let out a hiss as he attempted to yank his arm free. However, the mirror seemed to yank back, and before he knew what was going on, the mirror had pulled him into it. In fact, he had been pulled right through it. Theodore let out a gasp of panic as he seemingly appeared in a different room.

His eyes flashed with a dash of, what one might call, fear. So did hers. Because when he looked down, he saw those puffy red eyes staring back at him. And just like that, gravity took hold. Theodore dropped to the floor in front of her. Leiko was in shock. She wasn't even able to utter a scream.

He murmured something, rubbing his forehead. A red mark rapidly appeared from where his head made contact with the cold floor. His golden orbs stared up at her. This was making for a very awkward situation. Abruptly Leiko let out a shriek and backed herself into the wall, "Where did you come from?!"

"Shut up, please." He cringed at her high pitched voice. He stood up, brushing off his pajama bottoms. "I came through the mirror." He said it so casually. As if everyone said that.

She gawked at him.

Theodore was wondering if he had been cursed lately. He was practically being summoned by this revolting little _thing_. Huffing to himself, he spoke. "What has you wailing this time?"

"Are you like my fairy godmother, or something?" She inquired with a bewildered look upon her face.

He sneered, "Don't even joke about something like that. I just have the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"But how can you just appear out of thin air like that?!" She seemed frustrated.

A careless shrug on his part, "That's not the pressing issue right now. Tell me what has you crying. So I can fix it, or whatever I'm suppose to do, and get back to bed."

She furrowed her brows, but obeyed quietly. "It's really stupid, but…"

So Theodore found himself listening to an endless story about how she wasn't sure if he loved her anymore, if he was cheating on her, how she couldn't trust him, and how he often disappeared in the middle of the night. Apparently he told her that he was going to his friend's house, however it still seemed suspicious. She droned on and on about it. And quite frankly, Theodore was getting very perturbed by her tale. He had finally had enough.

"Then why don't you just confront him about it," He snapped.

She shifted uncomfortably, "I have." Leiko stared at her hands, "He just tells me that I'm worrying too much and that he isn't doing anything… But after all that…"

Theodore's eyes narrowed, "This is getting awfully sickening. It's a repetitive cycle and it needs to end. Either trust him or leave him."

She stared at him. Almost in a daze perhaps. Eyes wide with bewilderment and mouth slightly open from the shock of it all. But then her mouth snapped shut and the girl adverted her gaze. "I guess you're right, Theodore." The way his name rolled off her tongue. It was _nauseating_. He shuddered.

"I'm being really childish, aren't I?" She ran a hand through her hair as she stared downwards.

"Pretty much," He had no problem stating the truth.

But apparently she had a problem hearing it. Because once he made his statement, the tears began to flow once more. Theodore let out a sigh at the sight. "Pull yourself together, please." His words did nothing for her. In this situation, it was unclear to him what he was suppose to do. At this rate, he was never going to return to his peaceful slumber. So what would be the appropriate thing to do right now?

He didn't get the chance to ponder further on it. A door slamming from somewhere else in the house caught both their attention. They exchanged questioning glances before it sunk in. Leiko jumped to her feet with a gasp, "He's home! If he sees you here… He'll…" She was about to break off into another fit of sobs.

Theodore held up a hand to her face, "Calm down." His voice was stern and confident. However, she was anything but. Abruptly, Leiko led him to a small closet and shoved him inside. Despite his protests, she slammed the door on him and scurried to greet the other man.

A sigh fluttered passed Theodore's lips as he leaned against the far wall. It was strange that he could hear them as clear as day. As if he was standing right beside the conversing duo. The man was asking her why she had been crying and she was passing it off as allergies. It seemed that the man didn't care too much about it, as he said he was going to take a shower. Afterwards, Leiko came rushing into the room and swung open the closet door.

"Do you know how to get back home?" She seemed… concerned for him.

"Yes," He shrugged.

"I'm glad," She breathed a sigh of relief. "Even though I don't know where you came from, or what you are. Because I'm doubting your human… I'm really glad… You came here." A smile fell to her lips.

His stomach twisted in what felt like nausea. He adverted his gaze as he took a step forward. His body was reacting on its own. It made him uneasy. Just like that, his hand moved to the back of her head and he pressed her forward. She stumbled in confusion. His lips brushed against her ear as he spoke, "Don't cry anymore." Without any warning, Theodore disappeared in a flash of sparks. The little orbs of light danced around her and floated faintly until they faded into obscurity. The little trick comforted her. He knew it would. He felt it.

He felt her utter enchantment.

_Wait, what? _He **felt **it. What was happening to him?


End file.
